A 22-year-old man has died after a prank by a close friend went fatally wrong during a work Christmas party at a golf venue in Essex.
Conner Groom, from Clacton-on-Sea, was left with a catastrophic spinal injury after falling face-first from a first-floor bay at Topgolf in Chigwell. He died five weeks later in hospital.
Pushed during ‘horseplay’ at work night out
Groom had been enjoying a festive work do with colleagues from a bricklaying firm in December 2021. The group had travelled from Weeley by coach and were drinking heavily throughout the evening.
An inquest into his death heard that Groom and others had been pushing one another into the protective netting at the edge of the driving bays in what was described as “inebriated but not malicious horseplay”.
Detective Inspector Lydia George said the venue’s staff had warned the group several times to stop messing around. But just after 10pm, Groom was pushed from behind by a friend as he finished a golf swing.
He tumbled over the edge, falling around 12 feet. His foot reportedly snagged briefly in the netting, leaving him unable to break the fall. He landed face-down on the range below.
Friend repeatedly apologised at the scene
A security guard described the friend immediately rushing to Groom’s side, apologising repeatedly as the injured man lay bleeding and unresponsive.
Groom was rushed to the Royal London Hospital but died on January 25, 2022. The cause of death was given as a hypoxic brain injury caused by a traumatic spinal cord injury.
No charges brought – ‘misadventure’ ruling
The friend who pushed Groom was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm without intent, but the charge was later dropped.
Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes concluded that Groom’s death was the result of misadventure. He said the prank had been in “good spirits” and accepted there was no malicious intent.
He noted that alcohol had severely affected the friend’s judgement and said Groom’s parents did not wish for prosecution, believing Conner himself would not have wanted it.
Topgolf introduces new safety measures
Following the tragedy, Topgolf has since introduced stricter safety protocols, including clearer signage and a zero-tolerance policy for dangerous behaviour near the safety nets.
Tributes have poured in for Groom on social media, with friends and local residents remembering him as a “lovely lad” and a “tragic loss”.
